Bethlehem Catholic wrestlers dominated again

CHRIS KNIGHT, SPECIAL TO THE MORNING CALL

Bethlehem Catholic's Andrew Dunn squares off with Avella's Jake Temple during their 220 pound match in the semifinal round of the PIAA 2A / 3A Wrestling Championships Friday, March 7, 2014 at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Bethlehem Catholic's Andrew Dunn squares off with Avella's Jake Temple during their 220 pound match in the semifinal round of the PIAA 2A / 3A Wrestling Championships Friday, March 7, 2014 at the Giant Center in Hershey. (CHRIS KNIGHT, SPECIAL TO THE MORNING CALL)

Before deciding to step up in class, Bethlehem Catholic's wrestling team made one heck of a statement in its final year as the finest among the small-school programs in Pennsylvania.

The Golden Hawks (15-0) went undefeated in dual meets and all postseason tournaments on their way to their fourth straight PIAA team dual-meet championship and third straight team scoring championship at the state individual tournament, from which they took home three gold medals.

"You couldn't have written it any better, the whole ending and everything," coach Jeff Karam said after the state championship tournament. "This is a great group of kids. I don't know how many times I've said that, but it's just true. It's really been an honor coaching them."

After winning the District 11 Class 2A Duals, the Hawks set out to capture a PIAA-record fourth straight 2A state duals title — and did so by shutting out Lower Moreland and Fort LeBoeuf to start, dismantling Hamburg 59-3 in the semifinals and then sending Reynolds to a 41-15 defeat in the championship match in February.

A month later, they returned to the Giant Center in Hershey for the team individual championships and advanced four to the finals, winning three.

Moisey finished 44-0 before heading to West Virginia to continue his wrestling career.

Largely on the strength of those individuals, the Hawks finished with a state-record 138.5 points.

A little more than two months after that, their transition to Class 3A was complete following approval by the PIAA.

"We just saw it as a time for us to move up," Karam said at the time. "We expect to have a harder time just from the sheer numbers, but we're going to have to work harder.

"… Again, we don't want to go up and just be there, we want to compete and do well, not just in districts, but statewide. But it's going to be tough."

During the state tournament, Karam was revealing about how he felt regarding reaction by coaches and fans to his team's success. He was particularly steamed over Moisey failing to be voted the District 11 tournament's outstanding wrestler on his way to a fourth straight title.

"The bottom line is this: It's bullying," Karam said. "No matter how you look at it, they're trying to be bullies, just like some of the coaches with what they're trying to do with the outstanding wrestler award in our district.

"… It's just their way of venting because we're so good and they can't beat us. But you know what? I've got six medalists coming back. I think we're going to be pretty good next year. So we're not going to stop."